We recently connected with Marybeth Hernandez and have shared our conversation below.
Marybeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I’ve had this idea in my head since I was a little girl. Ive wanted to be an artist since I was six years old and as I grew older, I knew I wanted to pursue interior design. So it wasn’t until I became an adult, I decided let’s do both. A couple years later I finally have the opportunity to start making handmade, sustainable, one-of-a-kind functioning art pieces. I have always lived a DIY up-cycled lifestyle so implementing that in my work was and is very important to me. Right before Covid my job went bankrupt so I had no plan. I had savings and this idea. That was when I decided to purchase an LLC, move back home & see where it went. I knew this was going to be worthwhile because I knew I was taking a chance on myself and I went all in. My sons father passed away 8 years ago so I’ve never really had an opportunity to pursue my dreams but I figured during quarantine I had nothing left to lose. I was more excited than scared. I convinced myself I was able to make this work during the quarantine because I had all this free time to practice my craft, I also wanted to bring awareness to sustainability in all aspects of living. I was most excited about having this opportunity to network and meet new people and find like minded individuals within the community.
Marybeth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Marybeth. I’m 33 years old. I am a textile artist that specializes in handmade punch needle and tufted home goods. Everything is made from upcycled / secondhand materials. I decided to pursue my art full time in 2020 right before COVID. I was working as a supervisor at Luckys Market. They went bankrupt right before the shutdown so I call it divine timing. My grandmother was a seamstress so textiles have always been my obsession. I make coasters, rugs, mirrors, wall art, small furnishing and plant decor. What sets me apart from others is that I make everything from scratch. I make the paper for my business cards. I make the displays for my products. I make everything or source everything second hand. I’m most proud of this because I am conscious about our environment and the waste we consume on our planet. I want everyone to know art can come from anything and repurposing goods can be functional!
Have you ever had to pivot?
Since my last interview I have had to pivot my direction for my business. I use to offer and sell a lot of things but I had to cut back immensely. Although, I want stickn.scratch to be a lot of things I had to focus on what was most important. My passion and goals are still the same however I no longer sell clothes or tchotchkes and I’m currently not taking commissions. I’ve had to condense a lot of my work and maintain my growth within the textiles.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I feel like every day I have to be resilient. I’m still struggling on my journey, but I still wouldn’t have it any other way. Struggling is learning and if I’m not learning then I’m not doing anything. Each year I grow, but this year in particular has really shown me how strong I am. I haven’t found my audience. I haven’t found my place. I haven’t figured out how to make this successful but I can withstand and recover through all the difficulties because I want it that bad. I’ve been vending at local markets but I keep missing the mark but I still keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sticknscratch.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stickn.scratch/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063746394548
- Other: https://linktr.ee/stickn.scratch